Holocene fire disturbance in the boreal forest of central Sweden

Holocene fire disturbance and vegetation history were reconstructed using macroscopic charcoal and pollen accumulation rates from two lake sediment records (Holtjärnen and Klotjärnen) collected in the boreal forest of central Sweden. The records were used to examine the potential drivers associated with changes in fire regime. Climate, vegetation and human activity were all identified as factors variously influencing the fire regime. In the early Holocene, near bicentennial fire return intervals were regionally widespread, suggesting that fire disturbance was largely regulated by climate at that time. In the mid‐ and late Holocene, vegetation exerted an important control on the fire regime. During the mid‐Holocene, the expansion of thermophilous broadleaf vegetation offset the influence of warmer climate by altering the local microclimate and by changing the structure and flammability of the available fuels. During the transition to the late Holocene, thermophilous vegetation decreased in abundance and Pinus increased, resulting in a more flammable forest even though the climate was cooling and moistening. Fire disturbance correspondingly increased. The modern boreal forest was established in the late Holocene as Picea expanded regionally as the climate cooled, moistened, and became increasingly continental. Although no change in the frequency of fire was apparent at this time, increased stand densities likely facilitated greater fuel consumption in subsequent fires. Within the last millennium, human action markedly modified the forested landscape, altering the fire regime.     

Uptake and recycling of lead by boreal forest plants: Quantitative estimates from a site in northern Sweden

As a consequence of deposition of atmospheric pollution, the lead concentration in the mor layer (the organic horizon) of remote boreal forest soils in Sweden is raised far above natural levels. How the mor will respond to decreased atmospheric pollution is not well known and is dependent on future deposition rates, downward migration losses and upward fluxes in the soil profile. Plants may contribute to the upward flux of lead by ‘pumping’ lead back to the mor surface through root uptake and subsequent litter fall. We use lead concentration and stable isotope (²⁰⁶Pb, ²⁰⁷Pb and ²⁰⁸Pb) measurements of forest vegetation to quantify plant uptake rates from the soil and direct from the atmosphere at two sites in northern Sweden; an undisturbed mature forest and a disturbed site with Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) growing on a recently exposed mineral soil (C-horizon) containing a minimum of atmospherically derived pollution lead. Analyses of forest mosses from a herbarium collection (spanning the last ∼100 yr) and soil matrix samples suggest that the atmospheric lead deposited on plants and soil has an average ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb ratio of 1.15, while lead derived from local soil minerals has an average ratio of ∼1.47. Since the biomass of trees and field layer shrubs has an average ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb ratio of ∼1.25, this indicates that 70% ± 10% of the inventory of 1 ± 0.8 mg Pb m⁻² stored in plants in the mature forest originates from pollution. Needles, bark and apical stemwood of the pine growing on the disturbed soil, show lower ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb ratios (as low as 1.21) than the roots and basal stemwood (having ratios > 1.36), which indicate that plants are able to incorporate lead directly from the atmosphere (∼50% of the total tree uptake). By partitioning the total uptake of lead into uptake from the atmosphere and different soil layers using an isotopic mixing model, we estimate that ∼0.03 ± 0.01, 0.02 ± 0.01 and 0.05 ± 0.01 mg Pb m⁻² yr⁻¹ (mean ± SD), is taken up from the mor layer, the mineral soil and the atmosphere, respectively, by plants in the undisturbed mature forest. These small fluxes, which are at least a magnitude lower than reported downward migration losses, suggest that plant uptake will not strongly prolong the self-cleaning rate of the mor layer.     

Fractionation of U,Th, Ra and Pb from boreal forest soils by sequential extractions

To determine the mobility of natural radionuclides in boreal forest soil, a five-step sequential extraction procedure was carried out on soil samples taken from various depths down to 3 m on Olkiluoto Island, Finland, where there are plans to construct a spent nuclear fuel disposal repository in the bedrock. The extracted fractions studied were exchangeable, acid-soluble, reducible, oxidizable and tightly bound. It was found that the extractability of most of the radionuclides studied was dependent on the sample grain size and depth. All the elements were concentrated in the smallest grain size samples (<0.063 mm). The extraction behaviour of Th, however, did not vary with sample depth, and only about 10% of the Th was extracted by the time of the final extraction step. Stable Pb and ²¹⁰Pb, as well as Ba and Ra concentrations were strongly correlated in the extractions. Radium and Ba were leached more readily than the other elements; approximately 17% of the total Ra was found in the first fraction extracted, representing exchangeable ions. Uranium was more mobile in the topsoil horizons than in the lower horizons. In the topsoil samples, an average of 51% of the extractable U was leached in the second extraction step, representing the elements soluble in weak acids, whereas only 13% of the U in the subsoil samples was extracted in this step. This is probably due to changes in soil redox conditions lower down the soil profile. The extraction behaviour of Pb and Fe also suggests the presence of more reducing conditions in the deeper soil horizons, because the percentage of extractable Pb and Fe in the oxidizable fraction increased with sample depth.     

Biomarkers of novel ecosystem development in boreal forest soils

Novel ecosystem development is occurring within the western boreal forest of Canada due to land reclamation following oil sand surface mining. Sphagnum peat is the primary organic amendment used to reconstruct soil in these novel ecosystems. We hypothesised that ecosystem recovery would be indicated by an increasing similarity in the biomolecular characteristics of novel soil organic matter (SOM) derived from peat to those of natural boreal ecosystems. We evaluated the use of the homologous series of long chain (⩾ C₂₁) n-alkanes with odd/even predominance to monitor the re-establishment of boreal forest on these anthropogenic soils. The lipids were extracted from dominant vegetation inputs and SOM from a series of natural and novel ecosystem reference plots. Twice the concentration of n-alkanes was extracted from natural than from novel ecosystem SOM (p < 0.01). We observed unique n-alkane signatures for the source vegetation, e.g. peat material was dominated by C₃₁, and aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) leaves by C₂₅. The n-alkane distribution differed between the two systems (p < 0.001) and reflected the dominant vegetation input, i.e. peat or tree species. Our results indicate that further research is required to clarify the influence of vegetation or disturbance on the signature of n-alkanes in SOM; however, the use of n-alkanes as biomarkers of novel ecosystem development is a promising application.     

A reexamination of late-Pleistocene boreal forest reconstructions for the Southern High Plains

Previous paleoecological research on the Southern High Plains resulted in development of a late Quaternary chronology of “pollen-analytical episodes” and the proposal that boreal forest existed in the region in the late Pleistocene. These interpretations are now considered untenable because (1) a number of the radiocarbon ages are questionable, (2) there are serious problems of differential pollen preservation and reproducibility of the pollen data, (3) there is an absence of supporting geological or paleontological data, and (4) the soils of the area contain none of the distinctive pedological characteristics produced by a boreal forest. Available data suggest that the region was primarily an open grassland or grassland with some nonconiferous trees through most of the Quaternary.     

Importance of climate,forest fires and human population size in the Holocene boreal forest composition change in northern Europe

The relative importance of climate, forest fires and human population size on long‐term boreal forest composition were statistically investigated at regional and local scales in Fennoscandia. We employ pollen data from lakes, reflecting regional vegetation, and small forest hollows, reflecting local vegetation, from Russia, Finland and Sweden to reconstruct the long‐term forest composition. As potential drivers of the Holocene forest dynamics we consider climate, generated from a climate model and oxygen isotope data, past forest fires generated from sedimentary charcoal data and human population size derived from radiocarbon dated archaeological findings. We apply the statistical method of variation partitioning to assess the relative importance of these environmental variables on long‐term boreal forest composition. The results show that climate is the main driver of the changes in Holocene boreal forest composition at the regional scale. However, at the local scale the role of climate is relatively small. In general, the importance of forest fires is low both at regional and local scales. The fact that both climate and forest fires explain relatively small proportions of variation in long‐term boreal vegetation in small forest hollow records demonstrates the complexity of factors affecting stand‐scale forest dynamics. The relative importance of human population size was low in both the prehistorical and the historical time periods. However, this is the first time that this type of data has been used to statistically assess the importance of human population size on boreal vegetation and the spatial representativeness of the data may cause bias to the analysis.     

The biogeochemistry of sorbed methane in marine sediments

Sorption of volatile hydrocarbon gases (VHCs) to marine sediments is a recognized phenomenon that has been investigated in the context of petroleum exploration. However, little is known about the biogeochemistry of sorbed methane and higher VHCs in environments that are not influenced by thermogenic processes. This study evaluated two different extraction protocols for sorbed VHCs, used high pressure equipment to investigate the sorption of methane to pure clay mineral phases, and conducted a geochemical and mineralogical survey of sediment samples from different oceanographic settings and geochemical regimes that are not significantly influenced by thermogenic gas. Extraction of sediments under alkaline conditions yielded higher concentrations of sorbed methane than the established protocol for acidic extraction. Application of alkaline extraction in the environmental survey revealed the presence of substantial amounts of sorbed methane in 374 out of 411 samples (91%). Particularly high amounts, up to 2.1 mmol kg⁻¹ dry sediment, were recovered from methanogenic sediments. Carbon isotopic compositions of sorbed methane suggested substantial contributions from biogenic sources, both in sulfate-depleted and sulfate-reducing sediments. Carbon isotopic relationships between sorbed and dissolved methane indicate a coupling of the two pools. While our sorption experiments and extraction conditions point to an important role for clay minerals as sorbents, mineralogical analyses of marine sediments suggest that variations in mineral composition are not controlling variations in quantities of sorbed methane. We conclude that the distribution of sorbed methane in sediments is strongly influenced by in situ production.     

Organic matter quality in reclaimed boreal forest soils following oil sands mining

Following surface mining of the Athabasca Oil Sands deposits in northeastern Alberta, Canada, land reclamation entails the reconstruction of soil-like profiles using salvaged soil materials such as peat and mining by-products. The overall objective of this research was to assess soil organic matter (SOM) quality in different reclamation practices as compared to undisturbed soils found in the region. Soil samples (0–10 cm) were taken from 45 plots selected to represent undisturbed reference ecosites and reclamation treatments. Soil OM pools were isolated using a combination of acid hydrolysis and physical separation techniques. Chemical composition of the low density fractions was characterized using ramped cross polarization (RAMP-CP) ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Differences between disturbed and undisturbed sites reflected the influence of different botanical inputs (peat vs. forest litter) to SOM composition. Reconstructed soils were characterized by significantly lower alkyl over O-alkyl carbon (ALK/O-ALK) ratios (0.3) than undisturbed sites (0.5). For these reconstructed soils, a significantly higher proportion of soil carbon was present in the sand associated (Heavy sand) pool (49.2 vs. 37.3) and in the acid-unhydrolyzable residue (AUR) fraction (61.3 vs. 54.7). These SOM parameters were significantly related to time since reconstruction, with the AUR (p value = 0.012) and Heavy sand (p value = 0.05) fractions decreasing with time since reconstruction, while the ALK/O-ALK ratio increased (p value = 0.006). These findings suggest that the ALK/O-ALK, AUR, and Heavy sand parameters are suitable indicators for monitoring SOM quality in these reconstructed soils following oil sands mining.     

The role of submarine groundwater discharge in coastal biogeochemistry

The advection of fluids from sediments into the coastal ocean provides a source of nutrients, metals, carbon, and chemical tracers. Of these tracers radium isotopes have proved to be useful in quantifying fluxes of the other components and evaluating sources. Models that use radium must evaluate assumptions that are inherent in the models. The results of these studies demonstrate that submarine groundwater discharge must be considered as a significant source of nutrients, carbon, and metals to the coastal ocean.     

The contrasting biogeochemistry of iron and manganese in the Pacific Ocean

Vertical and horizontal distributions of dissolved and suspended particulate Fe and Mn, and vertical fluxes of these metals (obtained with sediment traps) were determined throughout the Pacific Ocean. In general, dissolved Fe is low in surface and deep waters (0.1 to 0.7 nmol/kg), with maxima associated with the intermediate depth oxygen minimum zone (2.0 to 6.6 nmol/kg). Vertical distributions of dissolved Mn are similar to previous reports, exhibiting a surface maximum, a subsurface minimum, a Mn maximum layer coincident with the oxygen minimum zone, and lowest values in deep waters.Near-shore removal processes are more intense for dissolved Fe than for dissolved Mn. Dissolved Mn in the surface mixed layer remains elevated much farther offshore than dissolved Fe. Elevated near-surface dissolved Mn concentrations occur in the North Pacific Equatorial Current, suggesting transport from the eastern boundary. Near-surface mixed-layer dissolved Mn concentrations are higher in the North Pacific gyre reflecting enhanced northern hemisphere aeolian sources.Residence time estimates for the settling of refractory paniculate Fe and Mn from the upper water column are 62–220 days (Fe), and 105–235 days (Mn). In contrast, residence times for the scavenging of dissolved Fe and Mn are 2–13 years (Fe) and 3–74 years (Mn). Scavenging residence times for dissolved Mn based on horizontal mixing in the surface mixed layer of the northeast Pacific are 0.4 years (nearshore) to 19 years (1000 km offshore).There is no evidence for in situ Fe redox dissolution within sub-oxic waters in the eastern tropical North Pacific. Dissolved Fe appeared to be controlled by dissolution from sub-oxic sediments, with oxidative scavenging in the water column or upper sediment layers. However, in situ Mn dissolution within the oxygen minimum zone was evident.     

Evaluating the persistence of post‐fire residual patches in the eastern Canadian boreal mixedwood forest

In boreal forest ecosystems, wildfire severity (i.e. the extent of fire‐related tree mortality) is affected by environmental conditions and fire intensity. A burned area usually includes tree patches that partially or entirely escaped fire, called ‘residual patches’. Although the occurrence of residual patches has been extensively documented, their persistence through time, and thus their capacity to escape several consecutive fires, has not yet been investigated. Macroscopic charcoal particles embedded in organic soils were used to reconstruct the fire history of 13 residual patches of the eastern Canadian boreal mixedwood forest. Our results display the existence of two types of residual patches: (i) patches that only escaped fire by chance, maybe because of local site or meteorological conditions unsuitable for fire spread (random patches), and (ii) patches with lower fire susceptibility, also called ‘fire refuges’ that escaped at least two consecutive fires, probably because of particular site characteristics. Fire refuges can escape fire for more than 500 years, up to several thousand years, and probably burn only during exceptionally severe fire events. Special conservation efforts could target fire refuges owing to their old age, long ecological continuity and potential specific biological diversity associated to different microhabitats.     

极端环境下的微生物及其生物地球化学作用

极端微生物是地球生物圈的重要组成部分。极端微生物的地球化学定位在微生物学与地球化学以及一些相关学科的交叉点上,最近10年已经发展成为地质生物学研究的热门领域。对极端微生物的研究不仅有助于回答生命起源、生命极限、生命本质甚至其他生命形式等生命科学问题,而且其生物地球化学作用在地球系统科学研究中具有重大科学研究价值,对揭示生物圈与地圈协同演化的奥秘、认识生命与环境相互作用规律及地球的化学演化提供重要证据。总结了嗜热菌、嗜冷菌、嗜酸菌、嗜碱菌、嗜压菌、嗜盐菌以及抗辐射菌的主要类群,论述了极端微生物适应环境的机制,探讨了极端微生物的生物地球化学意义。作者预测未来将会在生物标志化合物研究、同位素地球化学分析和分子生物学综合研究的基础上协同推进极端微生物地球化学学科的发展。     

Metal sources in the Early Proterozoic Svecofennian terrain of central Sweden: Pb isotope evidence

The lead isotope composition of three Cu-Zn-Pb sulfide deposits and one Au deposit in the Early Proterozoic Svecofennian of central Sweden reveals the existence of two distinct lead sources in the region. Rockliden and Enstern contain lead of upper crustal affinity and are isotopically homogeneous. Lead in these deposits probably originates from Archean-derived detritus which was well homogenized by sedimentary processes and deposited over large areas as a component in Early Proterozoic sedimentary and tuffaceous rocks. Lead isotopic homogeneity within the Tjärnberget and Enåsen deposits is less pronounced, and the less radiogenic character of the lead suggests a source of mantle affinity. In areas where metasedimentary rocks are absent or contain very little Archean-derived material the isotopic signature of mantle-derived volcanic rocks is reflected in the ore lead. This approach is also applicable to other Svecofennian deposits. Together with deposits in west-central Finland the Rockliden deposit constitutes the northern boundary for lead of upper-crustal affinity, i.e., Archean-derived lead, in Svecofennian sulfide deposits.Despite these differences the isotope ratios of the four deposits indicate that they formed roughly contemporaneously with other Svecofennian deposits in Sweden and Finland.     

The role of climate variability and fire in early and mid Holocene forest dynamics of southern Sweden

The objective of this study was to investigate the possible links between regional climate, fire and vegetation at the small spatial scale during the early and mid Holocene in southern Sweden using pollen, plant macrofossil and charcoal records from a small bog. The fire history was compared with climate reconstructions inferred from various proxy records in the study region. High fire activity is related to dry and warm climate around 8550, 7600, 5500–5100 and 4500 cal. a BC. Low fire activity ca. 6500–6000 and 4750 BC may correspond to the widespread ‘8.2 k event’ (ca. 6200 BC) recorded across the North Atlantic region, and a later, brief period of increased precipitation, respectively. The decrease in broadleaved trees culminating ca. 6500–6000 BC correlates with the ‘8.2 k event’. A long mid Holocene period with low fire activity (ca. 4350–1000 BC) agrees with the pattern emerging for Europe from the global charcoal database, and may correspond to generally wetter and cooler conditions. High fire activity ca. 8550 BC probably triggered the local establishment of Corylus. Warmer and drier conditions (and high fire activity) ca. 7600 BC might have favoured the establishment of Alnus, Quercus and Tilia. The fire‐adapted Pinus maintained important populations throughout the early and mid Holocene. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Palaeocene faulting in SE Sweden from U–Pb dating of slickenfibre calcite

Estimating the timing of faulting is crucial to modelling tectonics, palaeoseismicity, landscape evolution and fault mechanics. Four slickenfibre calcite samples from a conjugate strike‐slip fault set in a platformal limestone, SE Sweden, were dated using U–Pb. Three of the samples yielded an average age of 64.8 ± 6.5 Ma, while the fourth yielded a marginally younger age of 54.7 ± 5.5 Ma. Precipitation of the fibres is interpreted as syn‐deformational. Age uncertainty and dispersion reflect incorporation of common Pb and tiny host‐rock components into the dated calcite and/or possible fault reactivation through ca. 55 Ma. We infer from crystal characteristics, stable isotopes (δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C) and rare‐earth elements that fibres formed in an environment rich in deep‐seated fluids, at temperatures of 40–200°C, with shear stresses exceeding 10 MPa and at a maximum burial depth of c. 4 km. This Palaeocene faulting may reflect far‐field stresses from shortening in the Alps.     

Shifting zonal patterns of the southern boreal forest in eastern Canada associated with changing fire regime during the Holocene

This research aims at uncovering the stand-scale Holocene fire history of balsam fir forest stands from two bioclimatic zones of the boreal forest and assessing the existence of a sub-continental shift in past fire activity that could have triggered a change in the Holocene zonal pattern. In eastern Canada, the extant closed-crown boreal forest corresponds to two ecological regions separated along 49°N, the northern black spruce zone and the southern balsam fir zone. We sampled balsam fir stands from the southern fir zone (n = 7) and among the northernmost patches of fir forest located far beyond the fir zone boundary, into the spruce zone (n = 6). Macrofossil analysis of charcoal in mineral soils was used to reconstruct both the stand-scale and regional Holocene fire histories. Data were interpreted in the context of published palaeoecological evidence. Stands of the balsam fir zone were submitted to recurrent fire disturbances between c. 9000 and 5000 cal. yr B.P. Local fire histories suggested that four sites within the fir zone escaped fire during the Holocene. Such fire protected sites allowed the continuous maintenance of the balsam fir forest in the southern boreal landscape. Stands of the spruce zone have been affected by recurrent fires from 5000 cal. yr B.P. to present. Local fire histories indicated that no site escaped fire in this zone. Published palaeoecological data suggested that balsam fir migrated to its current northern limit sometime between 7300 and 6200 cal. yr B.P. A change of the fire regime 5000 years ago caused the regional decline of an historical northern balsam fir forest and its replacement by black spruce forest. The consequence was a sub-continental reshuffling of the fir and spruce zones within the closed-crown boreal forest. The macrofossil analysis of charcoal in mineral soils was instrumental to the reconstruction of stand-scale Holocene fire history at sites where no other in situ fire proxies were available.     

The bivalve Buchia and the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary in the boreal province

Eight successive Buchia zones (buchiazones) are recorded in the stratigraphic interval from the base of the Middle Volgian substage (Late Jurassic), up to the base of the Early Valanginian (Early Cretaceous). These zones, reading from the base upwards include: mosquensis, russiensis, taimyrensis, obliqua, unschensis, okensis, jasikovi and tolmatschowi. The lower boundary of each of these zones was examined to choose one of them as the most suitable for recognising the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary. Preference was given to the base of the okensis zone, because it corresponds to the base of the ammonite zone of Hectoroceras kochi, and it is situated near the boundary between the Volgian and the boreal Berriasian stages. B. okensis is very easily recognised in field sections, and also is good for boreal-tethyan correlation. The base of the inflata zone and of its North Pacific chronostratigraphic analogue, the pacifica zone, is also ideal for correlation, but is too young and corresponds to the base of the Valanginian stage. The bases of other buchiazones are assessed and found unsatisfactory.